When the vaccine mandates first rolled out, you may have heard vague rumors about religious exemptions. This always seemed like a distant possibility for most, and the general assumption was that if you petitioned to escape the vaccination mandate due to your religious beliefs, you would be denied. This is certainly what many people experienced, Read More

School workers are overlooking arguments raised by students who participated in a “Day of Hope” religious field trip. The students and their parents are arguing that the event was more a religious activity than either a career or a college event, which is how the event was billed. According to the school employees, the “Day Read More

The United States Supreme Court’s fall term will include a same-sex wedding case that will test the limits of religious liberty once again. The Court will consider whether a woman in Colorado can be required to provide services for a same-sex wedding even though she says it violates her religious beliefs. The woman is a Read More

In a split decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor of a Texas judge who begins his court sessions with courtroom prayers. The court in this case, Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Mack, held that the judge did not violate the Constitution by performing these ceremonies. The appellate panel noted that the courtroom Read More

A bipartisan group of Senators voted to delay a bill that would guard the right to both interracial and same-sex marriage. Instead of voting on the measure, Chuck Schumer, who is the leader of the Senate majority, postponed a vote on the legislation until after the midterm elections. It was recently announced that the senate Read More

The Governor of West Virginia recently announced he had signed an abortion restriction into law which prohibits almost all abortions in the state, with exceptions for some medical emergencies, incest and rape. The legislature passed the measure, House Bill 302, during a special legislative session that made West Virginia the second state to pass a restrictive abortion Read More

This past June, the U.S. Supreme Court further eroded the separation between church and state by ruling that the state of Maine must fund private religious instruction if it also funds private secular instruction. In the case of Carson v. Makin, all six conservatives on the Supreme Court decided denying public funds to private religious Read More

Virginia’s Governor recently signed a law supporting the Commonwealth’s guards for the exercise of religious freedom. The law explains that freedom of religion encompasses any faith expressions displayed outwardly. The measure, House Bill 1063, revises Virginia law in various realms, including employment, housing, and public accommodation. Virginia had previously not defined religion, and with this new bill Read More

A recent lawsuit claims that the “medical conscience clause” in an over $70 billion budget bill goes against the terms of the single-subject requirement found in Ohio’s Constitution. This clause lets medical professionals decline to provide services to individuals based on their religious, ethical, or moral beliefs. Ohio’s single-subject regulations prohibit legislatures from placing policies in bills Read More

The United States Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of permitting ministers to both “pray over” as well as physically touch inmates on death row during the process when lethal injection is received. The Court has increasingly dismissed stay requests from prisoners who are facing execution, so this new ruling is a significant development. Texas Read More